Rain leaves areas both soaked, on fire

Rain runoff covers the low area of Ranch Road south of Madisonville after Wednesday’s storm dropped about 7 inches of rain in the area.

Meteor photo by Tony Farkas

The pasture west of Madisonville has become a lake as saturated ground could not absorb the more than 7 inches of rain that was dumped in the area.

Meteor photo by Tony Farkas

Posted
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 12:00 am

Meteor staff

Wednesday’s storm left pastures and roads covered in water, and even was responsible for several fires due to lightning strikes.

As of last Friday, there were barricades on Strawther, Clark, Grant and Bundic roads, according to Emergency Management Coordinator Shelly Butts.

Additionally, Butts said there was an oil well site fire, several stranded motor vehicle calls including an initially reported entrapment assist in Walker County, and a vehicle in a creek in our county.

“We also had several reports of water over roadways,” she said. “Madison County Dispatch took most of those calls. We sent out public information messages to those who are signed up with our county system, as well as sent out information through Facebook and Twitter.”

She also said that they were watching the Bedias Creek and Trinity River areas, as flood warnings had been issued for that area.

The rain reports from county weather watchers varied for the storm: there was 5.99 inches reported near the west county line; and a partial report of 3.44 inches for a 24-hour period at the courthouse.

However, Butts said the National Weather Service reported for the 48 hours of Tuesday and Wednesday that Madisonville received 7.36 inches of rain, and southwest of Madisonville received 5.34 inches.

Weather reports indicate a 90 percent chance of rain on Friday, and lesser chances of rain throughout the following week.